Herod Agrippa Was the last Jewish king over the Kingdom of Judea. But first, it’s worth saying that Herod Agrippa was born in 10 BCE. He was born with the name Marcus Julius Agrippa. He was a Roman Jew, the grandchild of Herod the Great. So officially he was the last Jewish king of Judea. Because of his good relations with the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was able to establish the kingdom of his grandfather, Herod the Great, under Jewish rule once more.

Herod Agrippa was probably born in Judea. He was the grandchild of King Herod the Great and Mariamne I. Agrippa was named after Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa which was the son-in-law of Caesar Augustus and the ruler of the East on his behalf. Therefore he had close ties with Herod the Great. At the age of three, he was orphaned from his father, Aristobulus, after Herod the Great executed him for conspiring against him.

Agrippa’s family was under the protection of Herod the Great. But his mother, Berenice, decides to relocate her family to Rome in 5 BCE. While in Rome, Herod Agrippa got his upbringing in the imperial court. As was customary with monarchs of Rome’s protectorate. So there is a reason to believe that Augustus considered Agrippa and his brother, as potential heirs to the throne.

More About Herod Agrippa

Young Herod Agrippa was taken under the tutelage of Antonia Minor. She was one of the more prominent women in the Roman Empire. Agrippa grew up with her son, Claudios, and Drusus the son of Tiberius. After Berenice’s death (in the year 23 CE approx) Agrippa spent all his wealth and causing him great debts. As a result, he went back to Judea, probably between the years 28-30 CE. Pondering about taking his own life; his wife sent letters to his sister, Herodias. She was married to their uncle Herod Antipater (Antipas),  Tetrarch of the Galilee; begging for their help. For more interesting posts I invite you to go to my blog and check it out!